1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a safety screen comprising a fixing means, in particular to such a safety screen that is useful as part of a climbing screen. It further relates to a climbing screen comprising the fixing means and to the fixing means itself.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
In modern construction, particularly in the construction of high rise buildings it is common to have a central core, which houses lift shafts and stairs and which provides support to the floors of the construction, wherein the central core and floors are formed by poured concrete. Such structures commonly have no external walls. During large periods of construction therefore, the floors remain open at their edges. It is only when a façade is introduced that the perimeter of the building is enclosed. Such open floors cause numerous health and safety risks. Workers operating on the exposed floors of the construction are at risk of falling from the construction. Workers or members of the public on the ground are at risk from tools, equipment or debris falling from the exposed floors.
It is known to provide safety screens, which extend around at least a portion of the perimeter of constructions, which effectively provide a temporary façade. These safety screens are advantageously moveable vertically to protect the perimeter of any required floor as the construction progresses. Such screens are commonly referred to as “climbing screens”. Movement of the climbing screens up the construction may be affected either by crane or by hydraulic lifting equipment located on floors of the construction.
These climbing screens typically comprise a climbing rail and a safety screen. The climbing rail is engaged, in use, by floor guides, which project outwardly from the edges of the floors. The floor guides allow translation of the climbing screen along the construction and are further operable to lock the position of the climbing screen adjacent appropriate floors during use.
Climbing screens are bulky items when assembled. However, it is desirable that the climbing screens arrive on site at a construction in a fully or at least substantially assembled state. It is therefore beneficial if means are provided for reducing the size of an assembled climbing screen for transport. This may be accomplished by the provision of a safety screen comprising one or more fixed panels and one or more moveable panels. Such a safety screen will be configured to have a retracted state (for transport) and an extended state (in use), wherein each of the moveable panels will be adapted to at least partially overlap with one or more of the fixed panels in the retracted state and will be adapted such that in the extended state the degree of overlap is less than in the retracted state.
There is typically a gap formed between the safety screen of the climbing screen and the peripheral edge of each of floors closed off by the climbing screen. To avoid the risk of objects falling to the ground via these gaps, it is common to provide one or more pivotally mounted panels (typically comprising plywood sheets) for closing off the gaps between one or two of the floors and the safety screen. In use, for closing off a gap, a respective panel will be pivoted downwardly to abut a respective floor and lie at an angle to the horizontal, such that any falling items will strike the panel and be deflected into the construction.
It is necessary to provide mounting means for the pivotal panels. Typically, to allow for extension of the climbing screen a form of telescoping rail is provided. Problems have arisen, however, with the fixing of the telescoping rail arrangement to the sliding outer panels of the climbing screen. Firstly, it is highly preferable to allow for the adjustment of the height of the telescoping rail arrangement when the climbing screen is in situ. Secondly, it is highly desirable that the sliding outer panels of transversely adjacent climbing screens may be brought together to prevent the creation of gaps therebetween.